Volvo vrea sa devina marca premium

Publicat luni, 07.07.2008 18:41 de Robert Gherghe

Marca suedeza Volvo intentioneaza sa se repozitioneze pe piata prin comercializarea unor model premium.

Volvo a ramas ultimul membru al Premier Auto Group, dupa vanzarile marcilor Aston Martin, Jaguar si Land Rover. Mai mult, gigantul auto Ford nu mai detine niciun brand premium, in afara marcii Lincoln, limitata doar la vanzari pe piata nord-americana.

Pentru a acoperi acest gol, Ford intentioneaza sa repozitioneze valoarea de piata a marcii Volvo. Asadar, Volvo ar urma sa lanseze o gama de modele premium, care ar putea concura macar teoretic cu liderii de piata din acest segment.

In ciuda eforturilor de a reduce costurile si de a creste productivitatea muncii, Volvo nu a reusit sa revina pe profit. In aceste conditii, dorinta de a ridica pe scara valorica brandul Volvo, pare un efort disperat de revigorare a companiei sudeze.

Unele voci de pe piata sustin ca aceasta noua strategie este menita sa ridice valoarea companiei suedeze, in contextul in care Ford poarta tratative cu alte companii pentru vanzarea Volvo.

Noi vrem sa concuram cu Mercedes, BMW si Audi”, a declarat Steven Armstrong, COO Volvo, fara sa prezinte un program anume sau sa dea indicii in acest sens.

Via | Automotive News

  • Andrei Alexandru, luni, 07.07.2008 18:57
    Funny :)

    Volvo sa fie marca premium? Dupa ce ii vinde sau inainte? De cateva luni se aude foarte clar sa o fie vanduta... nu de alta dar pierderile Ford sunt destul de mari... depasite doar de GM :P si Crysler poate :)

  • Andy, marţi, 15.07.2008 09:10
    Invatati sa dati copy paste cum trebuie

    Volvo este o marca premium. http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/328984004/ "Ford says Volvo's not for sale, and the Blue Oval would be smart to hold on to its remaining vestige of the Premier Auto Group as long as it can, especially since engineering and platforms have become so entwined with Dearborn's product line. For its part, Volvo is angling to take on the high end Germans. Volvos have long been premium products, having built a reputation on exceptional durability, meticulous engineering, and of course, safety. Try as it might, however, Volvo has a hard time competing head on with BMW, Audi and Mercedes. The cachet of the Swedish automaker is diminished compared to the Germans, and dynamically, Volvos tend to get schooled hard despite being good, capable drivers when taken alone. Operations chief Steven Armstrong tells Automotive News that Volvo is looking to be mentioned in the same breath as its intended targets, even as losses mount and layoffs ensue. Volvos already occupy the same pricing arena as the premium Germans, but that's partly due to a weak dollar and transport costs. The possibility of building its cars in the United States might bring prices down and allow better developed performance versions, versus the outclassed R models of the past. Also hurtful is the model range's appetite for fuel -- we've gotten mileage in the teens from some Volvos in the Autoblog Garage. Armstrong says that the fuel economy issue will be addressed soon as technologies like start-stop, energy recovery from braking, and further down the road, hybrid powertrains are brought to market. Green is a good way for Volvo to go, given the Scandinavian proclivity for low-impact, gentler consumption. What it all means is that soon, we may see a kinder, gentler, meaner, faster Volvo product lineup -- possibly managed by Russian, Chinese, or Swedish owners. "